Pelagos is a solo double album by Italian classical and jazz pianist Stefano Battaglia, recorded in May 2016 and released on ECM September 15, 2017—Battaglia's seventh release for the label.[1][2]
| Pelagos | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album / Live album by | ||||
| Released | 15 September 2017 | |||
| Recorded | May 2016 | |||
| Venue | Fazioli Concert Hall Sacile, Italy | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | ECM ECM 2570/71 | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| Stefano Battaglia chronology | ||||
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Background
editThe theme of the album is "the suffering countries of the Mediterranean and Balkan areas."[2] For the two days before the recording, Battaglia was in a monastery, "meditating upon the meaning of migration."[2]
Recording and music
editThe album of solo piano performances by Battaglia was recorded at the Fazioli Concert Hall in Sacile, Italy[2] in May 2016.[1] Two sessions were recorded at the same venue—one with an audience and one without.[2] Some of the pieces include playing on a prepared piano.[3]
Approximately four hours of music were recorded.[4] Producer Manfred Eicher selected around two hours of playing for release.[4] Of the tracks, five ("Pelagos", "Halap", "Exilium", "Migration Mantra" and "Ufratu") are Battaglia compositions,[1] eleven are improvisations[2] and one is a traditional Arabic song, "Lama Bada Yatathanna", that is performed twice.[3] Applause was cut from the recording, so does not appear on the album.[2]
Some of the track titles are in keeping with the album's theme: "Lampedusa" is an Italian island where migrant boats from Libya landed.[2] "Horgos e Roszke" are towns on the Hungary–Serbia border.[2] "Exilium" means "exile" in Latin; while "Destino" is Italian for "destiny".[2] The first of these four is an improvisation; "Crushed notes, in pairs, become slowly louder, in protest or simply in pain."[2] The second is also an improvisation, played quietly.[2] The final two "are founded on a few dark repeating left-hand chords like knells of finality, from which Battaglia's right hand seeks release in markings upon silence, in isolated notes that gather to bare melodies."[2] Additionally, "Ufratu" is named after the Euphrates.[4]
Reception
editThe JazzTimes reviewer believed that this was the best of Battaglia's ECM recordings: "Pelagos is an achievement of extraordinary depth, realized through an extraordinary range of artistic means."[2]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Destino" | |
| 2. | "Pelagos" | |
| 3. | "Migralia" | |
| 4. | "Lamma Bada Yatathanna" | |
| 5. | "Processional" | |
| 6. | "Halap" | |
| 7. | "Dogon" | |
| 8. | "Life" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lampedusa" | |
| 2. | "Hora Mundi" | |
| 3. | "Lamma Bada Yatathanna" | |
| 4. | "Exilium" | |
| 5. | "Migration Mantra" | |
| 6. | "Horgos e Roszke" | |
| 7. | "Ufratu" | |
| 8. | "Heron" | |
| 9. | "Brenner Toccata" |
- Tracks drawn from the concert performance are: 1, 3–6, 8 (CD1); 2, 4, 5, 8 (CD2)[1]
Personnel
edit- Stefano Battaglia – piano
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Pelagos – Stefano Battaglia". ecmrecords.com. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Conrad, Thomas (29 November 2017). "Stefano Battaglia: Pelagos (ECM)". JazzTimes. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- ^ a b McClenaghan, Dan (14 October 2017). "Stefano Battaglia: Pelagos". AllAboutJazz. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- ^ a b c Panken, Ted (November 2017). "Stefano Battaglia – Creation Without Compromise". DownBeat. p. 28.